District in-charge and Housing Minister V. Somanna said on Friday that housing projects for tribals and for people who lost their dwellings in the recent floods would be expedited.
Speaking at a Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) review meeting held here, the Minister sought information pertaining to the number of tribal people in various hamlets who were without suitable housing. Mr. Somanna said he would stay in a tribal haadi during his next visit to H.D. Kote and apprise himself of their living conditions.
The Minister also took exception to the delay in completion of houses at Bidarahalli, which was ravaged by floods last year. Though officials tried to explain the technicalities entailing land ownership, he brushed them aside and said such matters should be resolved at the district level with the Deputy Commissioner as the head.
Completing civic works
MLA for Varuna Yathindra complained that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had left a lot of infrastructure works, mainly UGD, incomplete. He said this followed a Government Order directing MUDA to confine itself to areas coming under urban limits and not venture into rural areas.
The MUDA Commissioner, Kantharaj, was questioned about the pending works and subsequently directed to complete the projects that were already under way and not leave them incomplete. All essential works pertaining to road repair, UGD and streetlights should be taken up on a priority basis and completed. Paucity of funds is not an excuse, the Minister said.
Officials informed the elected representatives that projects worth ₹63 crore had been taken up and were in various stages of completion.
Buildings for GPs
Some of the elected representatives expressed concern over lack of office buildings for gram panchayats. Mr. Somanna sought a list of such gram panchayats in the district and said he would ensure that funds are released for their construction.
Pratap Simha, MP for Mysuru, expressed concern that people in the rural hinterland were being made to run from pillar to post even for basic works and were unable to avail many benefits as officials were playing truant. Subsequently, Mr. Somanna directed the officials to hold taluk-level adalats once in 15 days. The Minister also sought monthly progress reports on the implementation of various projects.
Officials were also instructed to ensure that UGD is connected to septic tanks and treatment plants and untreated water is not discharged into canals or lakes. Mysuru still retains its natural beauty, and its waterbodies should not be used to flush out sewage, the Minister said.
